


Protect and Defend

by kdprovance



Category: Sand Castle (2017)
Genre: F/M, Gen, I don't know man, I will warn for smut, all of my military information is based on googling, i'm garbage at tagging
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 07:01:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30051684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kdprovance/pseuds/kdprovance
Summary: If Allison had learned anything through her life, it was to expect the unexpected.But if someone would have told her she would have found her person in a warzone, she would have laughed in their face.
Relationships: Captain Syverson/OFC





	1. Chapter 1

**Allison POV**

As the transport I was a part of was leaving Baghdad, I couldn't help but reflect on what it took to get me here. I was born and raised in Northern California and lived a pretty normal life. I was blessed with parents who loved me dearly and were supportive of all of my interests. When I was growing up, I was of average intelligence, but I found my home in sports. I played team sports all through elementary and middle school, and when I reached High School, I found fighting. Boxing, MMA, Jiu Jitsu, and other martial arts became my solace in a world that I didn't quite understand. Once I was finished with high school, I went straight to college and got a double major in Sociology and Anthropology. I was always interested in what made people who they were, and I figured those were the two fields that would support that interest. I graduated in May of 2001 and spent the summer wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life.

Then, on September 11, 2001, everything changed. I saw those planes hit the towers on the news and something in my heart shifted. I felt the call to serve and decided to join up. For two years I trained my ass off in order to get where I needed to be. I knew that I was in great shape, so that wasn't what worried me. But growing up in California, I didn't have a lot of knowledge about guns. But I applied myself to learning all of the weaponry with the same attention I did my fighting, and pretty soon, I was known for my marksmanship and my physical fitness. I knew all ranks in the army were important, but I wanted to be on the ground doing something. So, I went for Special Forces. It was a hell of a thing to go through, but after four years of service and a re-up for another two years, I had finally made it. So, they flew me to Baghdad, and I was now on my way to Camp Warhorse. I was unsure what I would find there, but I was filled with excitement and nerves. As the convoy stopped at the gates, I shuffled around and made sure I had all of my stuff with me. Once we were pulled in and the gates secure, I followed the person who brought me and was introduced to Captain Syverson, the person in charge of this place, apparently. He was huge, first of all, but at about five foot five, everyone was huge. The convoy headed out again, and I soon realized that this might have been a tiny mistake. But, I rolled with it, because I knew I couldn't go crying.

As Syverson showed me around, it didn't escape my notice the looks I was getting. Clearly, these men had gone too long without seeing a woman. I chuckled to myself about the rude awakening they were about to get because as much as I looked like one, I was no lady. When Syverson stopped in front of a room, I looked in to see it was empty. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he said, "I figured you might want some privacy?"

I continued to look at him with a raised eyebrow, and replied, "And what made you think that, Captain?"

I could see him trying to formulate some type of response, so I broke with a smile and said, "I'm just busting your balls. I appreciate the thought. I'll take the room, but only because you were kind enough to think of me. But in the future, don't. I didn't get where I am in my career by getting special treatment. Also, I have a feeling a lot of your men are going to be trying to get to me. Let me defend myself. I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

He continued to look at me, and I could see the thoughts flowing through his head. He cleared his throat and said, "Of course, First Lieutenant."

"There's no need to stand on ceremony with me, Captain. Feel free to call me Allison, or Bennett if last names are more your thing."

He nodded and replied, "Then feel free to call me Sy or Syverson."

I nodded quickly and brought my stuff into the room. It was tiny, but it had a bed and a small chest for all of my stuff, so I wasn't complaining. I quickly unpacked and made sure I was wearing all of the gear I needed to be and then quickly headed out to see the rest of the camp. It looked like every other military camp I'd ever seen, but this one was bigger and seemed to have heavier energy. But with Special Forces, I had a feeling this would be the case. As I walked around, I noticed I'd gained a few shadows. I ignored them, in favor of continuing my explorations. When I finally came back to where I started, I turned around and asked, "Is there something I can help you boys with?"

They were all looking at me, and I could feel my skin crawl. I rolled my eyes at their lack of professionalism and continued back toward my room. As I walked I suddenly felt a hand on my ass. I quickly turned and threw a fist into the solar plexus of whoever was touching me. He fell to his knees and was coughing, having gotten the wind knocked out of him. I looked at the rest of the crowd that had been following me and asked, "Anyone else? Because I'm happy to do that again. Next time, it won't be so gentle."

They were all still staring at me, but this time with horrified looks on their faces. I laughed out loud and headed back inside to change for a quick workout. Even though it was hot as balls, I still liked to get in my activity. As I changed there was a knock at my door. "One sec," I called out. Once I was dressed in my ratty, old Army t-shirt, shorts, and boots, I opened the door to see Syverson standing there. He looked down at me and asked, "Do you want to tell me why I have a Special Forces soldier currently in with the Medical officer, complaining of something broken in his chest?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "Walk with me and I'll explain."

I pushed past him in the doorway and headed to find the gym area that was inevitable in a place like this. I heard him follow me, so I began, "I was exploring the camp a little, trying to familiarize myself with everything, and I noticed I'd garnered a bit of a crowd. When I arrived back here, I turned and asked if there was anything I could do for them. None of them answered, but when I turned around and started to head back in, one of them grabbed my ass. So I turned around and gave him a little love tap right in the solar plexus. Nothing is wrong with him. He'll bruise a little, but that's it. If it happens again, I won't be so gentle."

He sighed at my statement and when we finally reached the gym, I began my workout and could feel his eyes on me. He finally said, "You're a First Lieutenant, Bennett. You have to be better."

I was just finishing my push-ups and I turned to him and said, "I'm the best, Captain. Don't you dare put this on me. Yes, you are my Commanding Officer, and I have immense respect for you. But don't you dare tell me that I have to endure the fact that these pigs are going to try and rape me. I told them that next time I wouldn't be so gentle and I meant it. I don't have anything to prove to them, but I won't tolerate breaches of my own autonomy. Now, I would recommend you speak with your men about proper conduct with their First Lieutenant."

I could see him sigh and turn to leave. I called out, "Sy?"

He turned around and I said, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Bennett, and you're right. I'll have a talk."

"Thank you."


	2. Chapter 2

I was dressed in my full gear as I prepared to leave for my shift on guard duty, and as I was leaving, the man who I'd punched in the chest approached with a funny look on his face. I stopped and he looked at me for a minute before saying, "I'm sorry for my conduct earlier, First Lieutenant Bennett."

"It's forgiven..." I said, waiting for him to give his name.

"Shaw."

"Shaw," I continued, "But you get one chance. It happens again, and I won't be so nice."

He nodded and turned away, and I headed out to my post. As I stood there, I could feel eyes on me from somewhere, and when I turned, I saw a few of the other men at the camp looking at me. I rolled my eyes and continued to do my job, which was scanning for threats and keeping the camp safe. As the time ticked on, I could still feel eyes on me, and it was making my neck itch. When it was finally time to rotate guards, I hopped down from the watchtower and clocked the group of men who were standing near my post. I continued my march to the main building so I could finally get some sleep. It had been a long day of new and old experiences, and I was ready to rest. I was about halfway between my post and the building when I felt a hand on my arm. I shook it off and continued walking. Before I knew it I was forcefully turned around and was looking into one of the men's angry eyes. I reacted because I had a feeling that they were going to try something worse than just grabbing my ass. I broke his hold on me and planted my feet, wanting to be sure that I was steady.

I felt someone approaching my back so I turned and struck out, hitting him square in the face. I heard the crunch of his nose and knew he was going to be having a bad few days. He immediately fell to the ground, clutching his face, tears streaming from his eyes. Another one was approaching so I turned and kicked him right in the balls. He also fell to the ground, clutching his crotch and moaning. The next one approached, and I was tempted to pull out the pistol that sat at my hip, but I didn't like cleaning my weapons and I had a feeling he was going to bleed on it if I pistol-whipped him. So, I kicked him too, this time right in the middle of his abdomen. I unclipped the rifle from my vest and used it as a club. Multiple men fell with that addition and soon the group of men that I had a feeling might have raped me if given the chance, were all on the ground clutching various body parts and groaning in pain. I, meanwhile, was perfectly fine, if a little winded and my hair askew. I said, "I told you, I wasn't going to be gentle. If you do anything like this ever again, I promise you, you won't be getting back up for a long time. Don't test me, boys."

When I finally reached my bed, I quickly removed my gear and set it up so I could jump into it if needed, brushed my teeth, and checked in with my body to make sure I wasn't injured in some unusual way. Everything seemed fine, but there was a knock at my door before I could even settle into bed. I called, "Come in," and the door opened to reveal Shaw standing there.

I looked at him and he looked back at me, not saying anything. "Shaw, say what you need to say and then go. I'm tired, and it's been a long day."

"I just wanted to apologize again."

"Shaw, I told you, it's forgiven. I know it's unusual to have a woman here, so I get it. What I am unwilling to accept is the invasion of my personal space and my autonomy. Now go help the men I just taught that to. They're going to need some help, okay? And if anyone gives you any trouble, come see me and I'll set them straight."

He nodded with a small smile on his face and left the room. I settled into my bed and quickly fell into a light sleep. I was notorious for my lack of deep sleep, and I had a feeling something might happen tonight. I tossed and turned between my dozes and as I expected I heard the door to my room open and the sound of socked feet padding their way toward my bed. I kept still, not wanting to alert the man I was awake. I heard the distinct sound of a belt being undone, followed by the unzipping of pants and I knew where this was going. I waited, wanting to find the right moment. I heard the shuffling of pants and briefs, and then the sound of a hand rubbing one out. I opened my eyes and said into the silence, "You must be joking."

The man froze, caught red-handed whacking one out in front of me. He immediately began trying to stuff himself back into his pants, but I barked, "Hands where I can see them, pig."

He jumped at my tone and put both of his hands in the air. I grabbed my headlamp and turned it to the red light and got up to take this man to Sy. Usually, I wouldn't, but this was a bridge too far. I stuffed my feet into my boots and marched him out of my room and over to where Sy had told me his room was. I knocked at the door and waited. The door opened to reveal Sy, less sleep rumpled than I would have thought, and he said, "Something I can help you with, Bennett?"

"Sure. Explain to me why I found this pig standing over me in my bed trying to whack one out. Not to mention the men that are probably with the Medical officer getting broken noses treated and making sure that they all can still have kids."

His eyes were wide when he saw the man in front of me with his dick hanging out of his pants, and his face turned quickly to rage. He said, "Go, Bennett, get some sleep. I'll handle this. And tomorrow we'll get you a lock on your door."

"Thanks, Sy. Sleep well."

He nodded, rage still aflame in his eyes. I turned and headed back to sleep, trying not to think of what could have happened to me if I wasn't as light of a sleeper as I am. When I got back to my room, I checked my bed to make sure no one had touched it while I was gone, because honestly, I wouldn't put it past these guys. Once that was done, and nothing was amiss, I settled back in for a night of restless sleep.

\--

When my alarm went off the following morning, I quickly dressed, feeling the cold of the desert. I quickly cleaned myself up and took care of my morning ablutions. When I opened my door, Shaw was standing there. I asked, "Yes?"

"The Captain asked me to hang out with you until we get everything sorted."

"Thank you, Shaw. But tell Sy I can fight my own battles. Go take care of whatever you need to. I'm going to get a workout in."

I pushed past him and went to the gym area where a few of the men were already up and working out. I got started on my usual rounds of push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and then weights. As I did so, eyes were on me, but I ignored them. I hoped that they were starting to realize that I wasn't one to be messed with. After that was done, I quickly headed up into my room to grab additional gear and head out for my usual jog. I didn't like running without some sort of weapon, and if I was going to do it, might as well do it all the way. I headed back down and began my run. As I jogged through the camp, the sun was just peeking out from behind the horizon and I smiled at the sight. About halfway through, I heard another set of footsteps next to me and I turned to see Sy running next to me. I said, "Morning."

"Morning," he replied, and added, "The one you brought to me last night has been sent out to be disciplined. I've spoken with the others and they've all promised to stop."

I snorted and said, "I'll believe that when I see it. But thank you for sending the one from last night up to see someone. And you didn't need to put Shaw on me."

"Yes, I did. I don't take people harassing others lightly, especially when you are of higher rank."

"Well, Captain, I guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree on that one."

I could see a small smile blooming on his face, and it dawned on me how handsome he was. Being in the Army, I'd seen plenty of handsome men. But Sy was something different. I wasn't usually one to go for a beard, but somehow, Sy pulled it off. As we ran, I allowed my thoughts to roam free and tried not to be overwhelmed at the idea of what I was facing. It was stressful and exhausting to be a woman in a place where men acted like assholes. But I was handling it to the best of my abilities. Plus, it was nice to have an ally in Sy. In other places I'd been, I was all alone. But here, I could tell Sy was on my side.

When we got back from the run, I headed up to my room, and not five minutes later, there was a knock at my door, and Sy was standing there with a tool kit. He asked, "You know how to install a lock?"

I looked up at him and asked, "Do I look like I can install a lock?"

A small smile made its way to his face, and he replied, "I don't know Bennett, I didn't want to assume."

I laughed to myself and said, "I'm a First Lieutenant, Sy, not a handyman."

He sighed and pulled out his radio and asked into it, "Can someone who knows how to install a lock please come and find me?"

I smiled and turned to go back to my business, looking through my stuff and putting on the rest of my gear. When I finished, Sy was still standing there watching me. He asked, "Why do you wear all that gear all the time?"

"Just in case; wouldn't want to get caught out. Better to be prepared, Sy. Plus, it gives me a workout even when I'm not doing anything."

He harrumphed a little, and before he could say anything, someone appeared and took the toolkit from Sy. He got to work installing the lock and Sy left. I watched him and he turned to me and said, "I'm sorry First Lieutenant."

My eyebrows crinkled and I asked, "What for?"

"For my conduct. It was wrong."

I smiled and said, "Forgiven. Just don't let it happen again, alright?"

He smiled back and nodded, continuing to install the lock.


	3. Chapter 3

Once the lock was installed, the man left, and I headed out to check in with Sy and see if there was anything he needed from me. When I knocked on his door, it opened and he was standing there without a shirt on. My words dried up in my throat and I was struck dumb at the miles of skin that were on display. As much as the men acted like this was the first time any of them had seen a woman, I felt generally the same. Seeing Sy looking like he did sparked up a flame of arousal in me that hadn't been there.

He broke my thoughts with, "Bennett?"

"Yeah, sorry. Anything I can do, Sy? I'm used to having stuff to do."

"Not really, Bennett. A lot of hurry and wait around here. When we have a mission, I'll let you know."

I nodded, still struggling not to be distracted by the breadth of his shoulders. He asked, "Are you okay?"

"Totally fine. Going to head down and get another workout in."

"Jeez, Bennett, how many workouts do you usually do?"

I laughed and said, "Well normally it's just the one, but what else do I have to do around here?"

He paused, and then answered, "Touche."

I smiled and left, trying to ignore the fluttering in my stomach. When I finally was out of the building, I let out a sigh of relief and headed to the gym area to find an open spot to practice some of my Tai Chi, and other martial arts forms. It had been a while since I've done them, but I was feeling the need to center, and that always helped me calm down. I shifted my vest off and put it near me and began with a quick centering breath. I brought all of my thoughts to the moment I was in and then began moving through my Tai Chi. I loved doing the tai chi forms because they were so smooth and fluid. It gave me a chance to collect my thoughts, and out here, I was one big ball of stress. Going through the forms helped reduce my stress, which made me a generally easier person to get along with. When I finished, I opened my eyes and was surprised to see I'd gained a crowd. It didn't escape my notice that many of them had bruises on their faces, so I figured many of them were the ones I'd laid out the day before. I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Yes?"

One of the men stepped forward with a look on his face that I couldn't determine. He asked, "What are you doing?"

I smiled and said, "Tai Chi, and then a little Karate and some Krav Maga. Is there something I can help you with?"

The same man said, "We just wanted to apologize for our conduct, First Lieutenant."

"I appreciate the apology, soldier. But here's the deal; collective apologies don't really work for me when it comes to things like what happened yesterday. So I'll accept your apology for you, but the rest of you will need to apologize individually."

\--

After about six weeks at Camp Warhorse, things had finally evened out. All of the soldiers I'd laid out had come and apologized to me individually, and I'd forgiven all of them, but gave them all the same warning I'd given Shaw and the one who installed my lock. As luck would have it, I didn't really need to use the lock anymore, but I kept it just in case. We'd done a few Counterinsurgency missions in that time, and I was impressed with the skill of the soldiers I was working with. I shouldn't have been, because these were the best soldiers around, but their first impression left something to be desired, so I was impressed with their skill. We'd also taken care of a few direct action missions, which were always the ones that made me nervous because we knew what we were going in to rescue or retrieve, but we often didn't have much more than that. Intelligence was limited a lot of the time, and it gave me agita because oftentimes missions lived or died based on the intelligence we had. I could tell it bothered Sy about as much as it bothered me, so we often commiserated on our annoyance at the brass. We'd spent a lot of time bonding during my time at Warhorse, and while I couldn't qualify it at this moment, I was definitely developing feelings for Sy. While he presented a tough front, I could see the sweetheart underneath. Sy was just a teddy bear, but he didn't want anyone to know, which made sense. He was the Captain, and he needed to project a certain air.

As my seventh week at Warhorse was beginning, I walked into my room to find a note on my bed. I opened it and saw Sy's nearly illegible handwriting. It read:

_After this tour ends, planning on taking some leave. Thoughts?_

My eyebrows crinkled and I honestly didn't know what to think. I wrote underneath in my painstakingly practiced penmanship:

_On what? What does you going on leave have to do with me?_

I folded up the paper and headed back to Sy's office. He happened to be out at that moment, so I placed the note on his desk and made haste to leave. I headed back out to the mess to grab some water and then to the gym to get one of my two daily workouts in. There wasn't much to do around camp when we weren't preparing for a mission or dealing with the aftermath of one, so I had time on my hands to get two workouts in. One generally was weights and equipment based and the other was generally focused on my fighting. It was a great way to pass the time, and a lot of the men generally stood around watching me when I was working. It was annoying at first, but soon enough it just became normal.

When I got back to my room from my first workout, Sy's paper was back on my bed. Under my writing was:

_I'd like to get to know you a little better. After this tour ends, I don't think I'm going to re-up._

Again, my eyebrows crinkled and I wasn't quite sure what to think. I wrote back:

_Are you trying to ask me out? If so, the answer is maybe, but I re-upped for another two years just before I came out here. And my tour doesn't end for another eight and a half months; just like yours, right? How about this--if you're okay with it, why don't you give me a number I can call when I get back stateside and we'll see where this goes. Yeah?_

I folded the paper back up and went to see if Sy was in his office. The door was closed so I assumed he was, so I went back to my room to think about it. Actually think about what I really wanted. I didn't know Sy all that well, but I had a feeling if I could see him outside of this pressure cooker of an environment, I would fall for him. If I met him outside of Warhorse, I probably wouldn't have thought he was my type. But then again, I didn't have a type. Growing up, because I did MMA, boxing, and other sports, I didn't have time for dating, and any guy who I knew, only knew me as a fellow teammate or a competitor. When I went to college, I was focused on my classes and keeping myself in shape, not meeting guys and going to parties. Honestly, I was pretty inexperienced in the world of romance, dating, and sex. But when I thought about what I wanted to do after I got out of the Army, for some reason, ever since I met Sy, he seemed to be around in all of those imaginings.

I reopened the paper and added:

_If you're not going to re-up, then I have a feeling I might be promoted. If that does happen, I might have to come back out here. Let me have your address and phone number, so when I'm home on leave, I can call, but if that doesn't happen, I can send you a letter. Does that work? I don't want to commit to anything right now when things are so in flux. But Sy? If you want out, get out. I'll back your play, whatever it ends up being._

I refolded the paper and got back up to see if Sy was still in his office. The door was open and no one was in there, so I ran in and put the note down. I ran back out and hurried back to the mess for a bite to eat. It wasn't much, but it was food, and out here, I couldn't complain. After eating, I began a jog, needing to get out of my own head for a while. Thinking about what was going on with Sy was only going to make my life miserable, and things weren't going to be better or worse if I continued thinking about it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slow burn who? :)

That night, when I got back to my room, there was a new piece of paper on my bed. I opened it to see a phone number and an address. I smiled and figured that Sy and I felt the same way about this. I put the paper in my pocket and dressed for my shift on guard. As I patrolled, I kept having to remind myself that I needed to focus. As time ticked by, I thought about what I wanted to do for the first time in a long time. I thought about what my life would look like after the Army. I entertained the idea that there was something out there in the world for me. I knew there was before I joined up, but after so long inside, I had lost a bit of my focus. Before I joined up, I had thought about going the route of intelligence, but it never really appealed to me. Now though, the idea of working for the FBI or CIA was intriguing more than it was terrifying.

By the time my shift was over, I was bone-tired and ready for this weird day to be over. I flopped down on my bunk, trying not to think about what the hell was going to happen when my tour ended. Mine and Sy's tour overlapped a little, but he was going to be leaving before I was, and I didn't know where I would be when my tour ended. But that didn't matter at this point. All that mattered was getting the rest I needed and making sure that I was ready for missions when they came in.

\--

Four months into 2006 and Sy's tour was ending. On the day he was leaving, I was in a grumpy mood. I was going to miss seeing him every day. But, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I had a mailing address and a phone number for him, so there was a way for us to stay in touch. We'd spent a lot of our time getting to know each other when we weren't working, and if I was reading the vibes right, there was something growing between us. I was called into his office on the day he was leaving, probably to meet the person who was going to be taking his place. I wasn't looking forward to needing to teach a new officer all about life at Warhorse, but it was what it was and I was getting out soon too. When I walked into his office, I was surprised to find only him there, and he asked me to close the door, which he generally never did unless he was having a meeting with the higher-ups. I glanced at him to try and determine what he wanted, but I couldn't get a read. I stood in front of one of the chairs in his office and he just looked at me.

Before I could do anything, he stood up and made his way over to me, and continued staring. I was starting to get a little nervous, but I kept my cool and looked right back. We stood like that for a few minutes, each of us taking in the sight of the other. Between one moment and the next, he had my chin in his hand and he was kissing me. I lost my breath just slightly and grabbed onto his wide shoulders so I wouldn't fall down. There wasn't tongue involved, thank the lord, but he seemed to be trying to make this last as long as possible. We parted for air and our foreheads were touching. I whispered, "What was that for?"

"So you wouldn't forget me. And because I didn't want to leave here without having done that."

I grinned and said, "You're a dork. I'm going to miss you, Sy."

"I'm your dork if you want me. And I'm going to miss you too, Bennett."

I pulled back and said, "I'll be in touch, Captain Syverson."

"I look forward to it, First Lieutenant Bennett."

I left the room and ran immediately to my room, trying not to freak out. I heard his heavy tread walk by and I knew he was leaving then. I was now the ranking officer at Warhorse, I guess. Until some new Captain came along. That was certainly not something I was looking forward to. But, my tour was almost up and I'd already begun the process of going into Reserves. It was a whole thing, but I was willing to do it for Sy.

\--

Twelve weeks after Sy left, my tour was done and I was going home. Sy and I had exchanged a few letters since he'd left, but honestly, things were busy around Camp, and I figured Sy was right in the middle of his transition. I didn't want to bother him with what was going on around here when he was trying to get out. As I packed up my bags, I reflected on my time at Warhorse, and while it wasn't perfect, there was a chance I might have gotten a boyfriend out of it, so I wasn't so mad at it. As the humvee left for Baghdad I was focused on what lay ahead. It was going to be complicated as all get out, and my time wasn't even close to done, but I knew if I kept my head down and did what I needed to do, I would get it done and everything would work out.

\--

When I landed on US soil, I breathed a sigh of relief. I had arranged to move back to Washington DC because I was planning on applying to the FBI and joining up there, but the first thing I wanted to do was go and see my family. I held off on doing anything in DC and immediately hopped a flight to California. I rented a car and drove home, surprisingly remembering the way from the airport. When I pulled in, I knew my family wasn't expecting me. I jogged up to the front door and knocked. I was shifting from foot to foot, and I was trying not to make myself sick. The front door opened and when I saw my mom for the first time in far too long, I burst into tears. She was staring at me in shock, but she opened the door and I ran into her arms. She hugged me tighter than ever before, and she whispered in my ear, "You're okay."

I smiled and whispered back, "I'm okay. I'm healthy, mostly happy, and in reserves for the next three and a half years."

"Oh, thank G-d," she whispered, relief lacing every word.

We parted and she was crying too. I heard another set of footsteps and looked up to see my dad standing there. He was looking at me like he'd never seen me before and he asked, "Allison?"

"Hi Dad."

I walked over and his arms were open for me. I snuggled in and he held me tightly. I inhaled the scent of my dad and knew everything was going to be okay. We parted and he said, "I love you so damn much, Allison. We missed you."

"I missed you guys too."

"Come, get settled in and we'll eat something. I'm sure you've missed good food," Mom said.

"That I have, Mom. Let me go get my stuff from the car and I'll put it up. Love you guys."

"We love you too, sweetheart," Dad said.

\--

After all of my stuff was upstairs, I headed back down for my first home-cooked meal. It was pasta if my nose was right, and when I saw the plate of spaghetti and meatballs on the table, I nearly wept. I sat down and began shoveling the food into my mouth, not giving any thought to manners or conversation. When I came up for air, the plate was clean and my stomach was sated for the first time in a long time. I never went hungry while on active duty, but I ate because I had to, not because I wanted to. Mom and Dad were looking at me the whole time and when I finished and put my fork down, I sheepishly said, "Sorry. First good food in a while. Thanks."

"No worries, honey. How long are you in town for?" Mom asked.

"I think I might stay here for about a week, give or take. I'd like to book a flight over to Texas."

"What's in Texas?" Dad asked.

I smiled, trying not to blush, and said, "A friend."

"A friend?" Mom asked.

"Yeah. Right now, a friend."

"Right now?" she pressed.

"It's hard to explain Mom. I needed to come home to see you and Dad, but this is really important to me. When I get things handled in Texas, I'll come back for an extended stay, I promise. I wanted to come home, see you guys, and make sure things are what I thought they were with this friend."

"Wait, are you telling me you're ditching us to go see a man?" Dad asked.

"I'm not ditching you. I'm here for a week, and then I'm going to go and see a man who I happen to see a future with for the first time in a long time."

I looked up and Mom was grinning at me. Dad had a less happy look on his face, but I could see the curiosity warring with disapproval. I smiled and said to him, "As soon as I get things taken care of, I'll tell you everything, okay? The only reason I'm not saying anything now is that I don't know if anything is certain."

"Okay, honey. Why don't you go get more settled and we'll take care of this? We love you, sweetheart. We just want what's best for you."


End file.
